Derrick Gunn's predictions for his top-5 NFL Week 5 games

Share

NBC Sports Philadelphia's Derrick Gunn gives predictions for his top-five Week 5 games of the NFL season.

1. Jaguars at Chiefs (1 p.m., CBS)
A stingy and prideful defense vs. an almost unstoppable offense. Patrick Mahomes is the talk of the league with his ability to make plays and his 14 TD passes to zero INTs. K.C.'s offense leads the league in scoring, averaging 36.3 points per game. The Jags' defense is the best in the business at keeping opponents out of the end zone, yielding 14 points per game. RB Leonard Fournette is sitting this one out with a hamstring issue. The Chiefs' unbeaten mark will be put to the test, but they will survive ... just barely.

2. Redskins at Saints (8:15 p.m., Monday, ESPN) 
Surprisingly the 'Skins, coming off a bye, lead the NFC East. That extra rest will be needed because the Saints have put up 76 points over their last two games. After a season-opening loss, the Saints have been rolling. New Orleans gets RB Mark Ingram back in the mix (suspension) to complement the run game. The 'Skins have given up a league-low 44 points, but that number will increase by a good margin after Drew Brees and company are done with them. 

3. Falcons at Steelers (1 p.m., FOX) 
Raise your hand if you honestly thought both of these teams would have just one win apiece through four weeks of the season. These two projected playoff contenders have played like pretenders up to this point. Falcons head coach Dan Quinn said his team lacks the instinct to close the door with a lead. The Steelers aren’t going anywhere if they don’t fix their run game; they had just 19 yards rushing vs. the Ravens. One of these two will get temporary relief with a win, while the other will continue to do some soul searching. I’m taking the Steelers because they’re at home. 

4. Dolphins at Bengals (1 p.m., CBS)
After winning their first three, the Fins came crashing back to Earth, getting embarrassed by the Pats. Both Miami and Cincinnati are 3-1 but the Fins have problems scoring and a decent Bengals D gets LB Vontaze Burfict back from suspension to stabilize the middle. Take the Bengals at home.

5. Cowboys at Texans (8:25 p.m., NBC) 
It's the battle of the Lone Star State and bragging rights are on the line. Ezekiel Elliott, the league-leading rusher, vs. a Houston defense that gives up just 94 yards per game rushing is an intriguing matchup. The Cowboys' defensive front seven is actually pretty good and now it gets DT David Irving back from suspension. The Cowboys' offense still has identity issues. Texans QB Deshaun Watson wants to put on a show on the Sunday night stage. The Texans ride off with a win.

More on the Eagles

Contact Us